1. Field of the Disclosure
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods for forming fire resistant products, and, more particularly, to a method for forming a fire resistant or otherwise ignition resistant cellulose product, and associated apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
It may sometimes be desirable for particular products to exhibit resistance to fire. For example, it may be desirable for cellulose fiber-based board products used in building construction to exhibit a certain degree of fire resistance. In some instances, a cellulose fiber-based board product may have a fire-retardant product applied thereto, post-formation, to provide some fire resistance capabilities for the cellulose fiber-based board product. That is, an exemplary as-formed cellulose fiber-based board product may have a surface treatment, for example, a liquid fire retardant, applied thereto in order for the treated product to exhibit at least some fire resistance. In such instances, however, one possible limitation in the treatment of the as-formed cellulose fiber-based board product for fire resistance, particularly with a liquid fire retardant, is achieving an even and consistent treatment of that product. More particularly, the result of some fire resistance treatment processes involving application of a liquid fire-retardant to an as-formed cellulose fiber-based board product may be an uneven or otherwise inconsistent coverage of the fire retardant with respect to the product. In those cases, the uneven treatment may result in varying levels of fire resistance of the treated cellulose fiber-based board product which may, in turn, become a hazard in the event of a fire which the product is intended to retard or otherwise provide some resistance. Further, such treatment processes may not necessarily be efficient in terms of applying the fire retardant to the cellulose fiber-based board product, may not include provisions for capturing or recycling excess portions of the fire retardant product, and may not have the capability for preventing or restricting losses of the fire retardant due, for instance, to evaporative processes.
Thus, there exists a need for a process and associated apparatus for evenly and consistently applying a fire retardant, particularly a liquid fire retardant, to a cellulose product such as, for example, a cellulose fiber-based board product. In some instances, it may be desirable to form an integral cellulose product having enhanced characteristics and physical properties over an existing product, while also providing an enhanced level of fire resistance. It may also be desirable, in some instances, to have a cellulose fiber-based board formation process with the capability of capturing excess fire retardant and recycling the captured excess in subsequent cellulose product manufacturing cycles, whether the excess is captured in a liquid form or in other forms, such as vapors.